
Title 



.B \C 



Imprint 



6ook 



I DIRECTIONS i 



FOR- 






TH E- 



\ 




HVn^ROVED 



COMMON SENSE INGUBATOK 



BY 



J. M^AIN. 



DIEECTIONS 



■FOR- 



ill 



-THE- 



IMI^ROVED 



COMMON SENSE INCUBATOS 



■BY 



FE3 >3v3 IHh/ 






^'h^ 



J. M. BAIN. 



1=^ Copyright Secured in 18b2 by J. M. Bain. 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by J. M. Bain, 
in tlie Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Wasliington, D. C. 






I 



DIRECTIONS 

Improved ^'ComiiioG Sense" Incubator 



<g;-^>fg >^ ^ 



Take two boards^ each tour feet long, six inches 
wide and one inch thick, and two boards each two feet 
nine inches long, six inches wide and one inch thick, 
nail the ends together firmly, and you ^vill have the 
sides of a box four feet long, three feet wide and six 
inches high, as in No. 1, Fig. 1. 




FIG. 1. 

Now cover the top of this box with a lid made of 
boards one inch thick, plowed and grooved, or matched 
so they will fit closely together. Then for the bottom 
take a piece of zinc four feet long and three feet wide 
and nail securely with two rows of small nails for the 
botiom of the box. This makes a box four feet long, 
thrcv feet wide and six inches high, with a zinc bottom. 
This box is called the heater. 



Next make the egg drawer, by taking two pieces 
four feet long, four inches wide and one and one-half 
inches thick, and two pieces two feet eight and one- 
half inches long, five inches wide and one and one-half 
inches thick. Nail these together, making the sides of 
the egg drawer, four feet long and two feet eleven and 
one-half inches wide. Then cut twenty-three slats 
thirty-five and one-half inches long and one inch square 
and nail the twenty-three slats on the bottom of this 
drawer one inch apart. These slats are the bottom of 
the egg drawer Now this makes a drawer four feet 
lonon and two feet eleven and one-half inches wide and 
five inches high on the outside and four inches deep in 
the inside, with a slat bottom, as in No. 2, Fig. 1. 

Now take a piece of wool sack, coffee sack or some 
other coarse, strong material, four feet long and two 
feet eight inches wide, draw it tightly over the top of 
these slats ond tack to the slats and ends of the fh'awer. 

Now cut out of good timber two slats three feet 
seven inches long, one inch wide and half an inch thick, 
and two slats thirty-two inches long and one inch 
square, mortise the ends of the two half-inch thick slats 
into the ends of tlie inch square slats, making a frame 
three feet seven inches long and thirt) -two inches wide. 
Take good heavy muslin, and draw it ve)-y tight, espec- 
ially Jcngtkways, over this frame and tack it on solid, 
lay this frame, muslin side down, on the coarse cloth in 
the egg drawer. On this muslin the eggs are to lie. 

Next cut twenty slats two feet eleven inches long 
and half an inch square, then bore twenty holes half an 
inch in diameter in each side of the egg drawer, for the 
twenty slats to go in, these twenty slats should be one 
and three-fourths inches apart, so the eggs can lie be- 
tween the slats, and the slats should be down just as 
close to the frame with the muslin on as can be, to al- 
low the muslin frame to be moved easily between these 



twenty slats and the slats that make the bottom of the 
egg drawer, ihen place the eggs between the twenty 
half inch slats on the muslin cloth, then by moving this 
muslin frame two inches back or forward, you turn the 
e^gs just half over or bottom side up. 

Next take two boards four feet long, eight inches 
wide and one inch thick, and two boards two feet nine 
inches long, eight inches wide and one inch thick, nail 
these together, making the sides of a box tour feet long 
three feet wide and eight inches high, being similar in 
shape to the heater, except two inches higher, as in Xo. 
1, Fig. 1. 




Nail on a bottom of plowed and grooved boards, 
one inch thick. Now bore twelve holes in different 
parts of this^gbottom, one-half of an inch in diameter, 
and get twelve pieces ot"tin pipe seven inches long and 
lialfof an inch in diameter, and put in each of the 
twelve holes, they should extend up above the bottom 
six inches. These are the ventilators. Now fill this 
box containing the ventilators with saw dust, sand or 
bran, about five inches deep, or up to within one inch 
of the top of the ventilators. Mind this box has a 
bottom but no top. 

Now set the egg drawer, C, Fig. 2, on top of the 

1 1 ventilator box, B, and then on top of tlie ogg drawer, 

|! C, set the heater, A. 



K'ow we want to arrange these boxes so the egg 
drawer, C, can be slid out and in, and the other boxes, 
A and B, maintain their position. To do this take 
tv70 boards, each four feet long, twelve inches wide and 
one inch thick. Nail one of these boards, M, on each 
side of the heater. A, and the ventilator box, B, driv- 
ing the nails into the heater and ventilator, but be sure 
and drive no nails in the egg drawer, as it should slide 
out and in freely between the heater and the ventilator. 
Having got these boards nailed solid, cut another 
board three feet long, twelve inches wide and one inch 
thick, and nail to the heater and ventilator, on the 
back end. 

Xow the heater and ventilator are connected on 
two sides and one end, of course the other end must be 
left open for the egg drawer to slide out. The bottom 
of the Incabator is now protected by the six inches of 
saw dust that is in the ventilator box B. We now 
want to protect the two sides, the back end and the top 
with eight inches of sawdust. To do this take two 
pieces of scantling four feet and four inches long, lay 
them down and set the Incubator on them, as shown 
by XX Fig. 2, so that the scantling will extend out 
eight inches on each side of the Incubator. See that 
the scantling do not cover any of the ventilator holes 
in the bottom of the Incabator, 

Xow take two boards four feet and eight inches 
long, eight , inches w^ide and lay one on each side of the 
Incubator on these scantling, O, Fig. 2, for a bottom 
to the saw dust box, which ^will surround the Incuba- 
tor. These boards will extend past the back end of 
the Incubator eight inches. Then by taking a board 
four feet long and eight inches wide and laying it across 
the back end of the Incubator, letting it rest on the 
ends of the'jtwo side bottom boards which extend back, 
the bottom of the saw dust box will be complete. 



Now you want to make one end, P,and two sides, 
N, of a box to set on this bottom, the sides should be 
four feet eight inches long and twenty-six inches high, 
and the end four feet four inches long and twenty-six 
inches high. Now set this box on the bottom already 
made and nail it securely, and with two boards twenty 
six inches long and eight inches wide, you can close up 
the front end of the savv dust box. 

R represents one side of front end closed, we had 
to leave the other side open in the engraving to show 
the way the heating pipe is put in, of course close up 
both sides in making your Incubator. Now by taking 
a board, S, four feet'long and eight inches wide, you 
close the top of ilie end of the saw dust box. This now 
makes a box within a box with a space eight inches 
wide between the sides and the back end which is to 
be filled with saw dust. 

Now go to a tin shop and get two pipes made, 
take a lamp chimney with you, the kind you use, any 
common lamp will do to heat your Incubator, and get 
the pipes made to suit your chimney, so you can slip 
the lamp chimney up in the pipe tight. A pipe two 
and one-half inches in diameter is a common size. The 
pipe should be twelve inches long then an elbow, then 
six inches more pipe, get two pipes like this D, Fig. 2. 

Now make a hole the size of your pipe in the out- 
side or saw dust box, eight inches fr@m the front end 
and ten inches from the top, and make a hole the same 
size in the heater, the box with the zinc bottom, eight 
inches from the front end and two inches from the top, 
then slide the twelve inch part of the pipe through the 
hole in the saw dust box into the hole in the heater, A, 
Fig. 2, leaving tiie elbow and the six inch part ot pipe 
on the outside of saw dust box, the six inch pine point- 
ing down, for the lamp 'chimney to be put in. Then 



put the other pipe in the same way, in the opposite 
hind corner, these pipes should be seamed together, as 
soldering will mell with the heat of the lamp, then 
light your lamps and push the chimney as far up in the 
pipe as you can without making them smoke. If the 
lamps smoke, lower the lamps a little, that some air 
may pass around the chimney. Two lamps should 
keep up the proper heat in the coldest weather. 

Now get six pipes three-fourths of an inch in di- 
ameter and fifteen inches long. Bore six holes in the 
top of the heater, three on each side opposite to where 
the heating pipes enter the heater. Bore the first hole 
three'inchesfrom the corner, the second twelve inches 
from the first and three inches from the outside, the 
third pipe twelve inches from the second and three 
inches from the outside. Then put the other three the 
same way on the other side, as shown by the little holes 
in the top of the heater. Fig. 2. Then put in the pipes 
and slide them down to within half an inch of the zinc 
bottom. These little pipes draw the heat from where 
it enters the heater to the opposite side, and distributes 
it equally throughout the heater. 

If the lamps go out when the egg drawer is mov- 
ed out or in, it is because the zinc bottom is loo loose. 
Bore a hole in the (centre of the top of the heater and 
punch a hole in the size of the bolt you will use, in the 
zinc directly below it. Then put in a bolt seven inches 
long, with the head bel^w, and tighten up the burr 
until the zinc will not flop up and down any when the 
drawer is moved. Then by moving the drawer out 
slowly and steadily so as not to jar the eggs, the lamps 
will not trouble. Make the egg drawer so as to slide 
out smoothlv and easilv. 



After putting the pipes in fill the saw dust box 
with saw dust, sand or bran even full, but right 
around the tin pipes the lamps go in, instead of putting 
saw dust be sure and put earth, as the saw dust might 
get afire. A little box nailed to the outside of the saw 
dust box to cover the tin pipe and elbow^ and filled 
with earth, would save much heat. 

Now your Incubator has six inches of saw dust 
or sand set underneath the eggs in the ventilator box, 
B, eight inches on each side and the back end of the 
Incubator, and eight inches on the top. This makes 
such a perfect protection that a change of forty degrees 
in the temperature of your Incubator room will not 
make more than two degrees inside the Incubator. 

Be sure and get two good Therinometers^ lay one 
in the front end of the egg drawer with the top end 
slightly raised, it should be one incli higher than the 
bottom end. Let the lower end of the Thermometer 
[)oint towards the back end of the egg drawer, by pull- 
ing out the egg drawer four or five inches you can see 
in a few seconds how the temperature is. Then place 
the other Thermometer in different parts of the Q^g 
drawer and see if the Temperature is uniform. It will 
likely be hottest right under where the lamp pipes en- 
ter the heater. You can prevent this by laying a 
piece or tin one foot square on top of the zinc bottom 
right under where each lamp pipe enters the heater. 
Do this before you fill the saw dust in on top and it 
will save you removing the saw dust and top lid to 
heater. Or instead of tin you can lay from two to 
five thicknesses of brown paper on top the eggs where 
they are the warmest, you will learn in a day or two 
just how thick and how large a paper it will take. 
Remember it takes a large amount of saw dust to fill 
the Incubator, and when that saw dust is cold or frozen 



it must take two lamps some three or four clays to 
warm it up, but when it gets warm you will be sur- 
prised how little heat it will take to keep it so. 

Torches, such as are used duriug political campaigns, 
make good Incubator lamps by putting common lamp 
burners on them. 

This Incubator, as above described, will contain 
250 eggs. Tu hold 500 eggs it should be made six 
feet long and four feet wide, the same otherwise, but 
remember that two Incubators that hold 250 eggs each 
is much better than one that holds 500 eggs. 

ARTIFICIAL MOTHERS OR BROODERS. 

Make a box four feet long, three feet Avide and six 
inches high, cover the top with boards and the bottom 
with zinc, making a box just like the heater of the 
Incubator. Now take a piece of old cloth, tolerable 
heavy, an old horse blanket would be good, and cut 
strips four inches wide and long enough to reach all 
around the three by four box, or fourteen feet, and tack 
this cloth around the bottom edge of the box, it will 
then hang down about four inches below the box- 
Then cut this cloth every four inches. The box will 
then be surrounded with pieces of cloth four inches 
square. Now put a block two inches square unc^er 
each corner of this box, then the little chicks can get 
in under easily by pushing in between the four inch 
strips of cloth. Then fix one tin pipe like the pipes 
to heat the Incubator, and one lamp will keep the 
brooder warm. Put a three-quarter inch escape pipe 
in each corner of the brooder to draw the heat over 
the surface of the zinc evenly. Ninety degrees is the 
proper temperature for a brooder. As you cannot get 
a lamp in the pipes if the brooder is on the floor, make 
a table a little larger than the brooder with legs six or 



eight inches high, according to the height of your 
lamps, set the brooder on the table as you would on 
the floor, and by putting a board up to it, the chicks 
will very soon learn to run out and in. 

Don't set any boards around the brooder to keep 
the chickens in, as they will crowd up in the corners 
and kill many. As the chickens grow put higher 
blocks under the brooder, so they can get under but 
not high enough that they can get on top of each other. 
You might cover the top of the brooder Avith savv dust, 
as it win then take less oil to to keep in up to about 
ninety degrees. 

To keep the rats away, make a box four feet wide 
five feet long and one foot high, and put over the 
brooder at night. Bore some small holes in the top 
for ventilation. The brooder should be kept in a dry 
place and kept very clean. In pleasant weather put 
them out in your yard. You can put a box about the 
lamp to keep the wind from blowing it out. Damp- 
ness is very bad for chickens, but a barn floor will do 
nicely for the brooder. Clean the table, or Mse bot- 
tom, on which the brooder stands daili/, and scatter 
some sand on it. 

HOW TO USE AN INCUBATOR. 

It is a wise chicken that knows its own mother in 
these days of "wooden hens/' hot air, hot water and 
all other kinds of Incubators which are rapidly com- 
ing into use to bring forth the downy little creatures. 

Before beginning operation with an Incubator 
you should decide the following questions in your 
mind; — 

1. Will you give it the attention it will surely 
require at your hands ? 

2. Will you persevere sufficiently in your efforts 

to gain success ? 



10 

This you must do, or better let it alone. Don't 
expect every egg to hatch. Recollect it takes experi- 
ence to become proficient in anything. And many of 
our mos^ successful poultry raisers met with many fail- 
ures before they learned just how to manage their In- 
cubators. The first four times that I filled the Incu- 
bator with eggs, I only raised one chicken. I had a 
different kind of an Incubator each time, so I could 
not say it was the fault ot any particular kind of an 
Incubator, but all this time I was learning, and it will 
not take you long to become perfectly acquainted with 
the business, and then there is nothing that will pay 
you better. Just keep trying and you are bound to 
succeed. You must give it time and attention during 
the process of incubation in its early stages, and more 
particularly when the young chicks are emerging from 
their shells and during their early stages of growth. 

There are a dozen little attentions required by the 
young chickens, these they must have. There is a trite 
saying: "If you wish a thing half done, send a boy, 
but if you wish it well done, do it yourself This ap- 
plies with great force to an Incubator. They can not 
be left to everybody to care for, you must give them 
your personal attention, in order to see that the follow- 
ing requirements are complied with : — 

The eggs should be kept at a regular heat, not 
over 105 degrees, and not less than 102 degrees, for 
long periods. 

After the third day the egg drawer should be ta- 
ken out once a day and the eggs allowed to cool down 
to about 75 or 80 degrees, or lower would not hurt 
them. But when in the Incubator from 102 to 105 is 
the proper heat. The first twelve to fifteen days keep 
as near 105 as possible, the last frve or six' days 102 is 
the proper temperature, as the animal heat of the chick- 



11 

ens help to heat the eggs. Be careful not to get it too 
warm as over-heating is the great cause of failure with 
all Incubators. 

The eggs should be turned every four or five hours 
during wakeful hours, and I generally get up between 
one and two o'clock at night and see how the mercurv 
is and turn the eggs. 

With the turning arrangement w^hich w^e direct 
you to make, you can turn five hundred eggs in five 
seconds, so the time is nothing. 

A.fter the third day the eggs should be moistened, 
this you can do by setting two or three pie pans of 
water on the saw^ dust under the eggs in the ventilator 
box. From the ninth to the twelvth day sprinkle a 
little water, vvarmed, on the eggs by hand, once a day 
in addition to what evaporates from the pans. From 
the twelvth to the fifteenth day sprinkle twice a day, 
and from the fifteenth until hatched, three times a day 
as moibture does much to make the shell brittle, and 
assists the chicks in getting out. 

You can keep your Incubator in an out building 
or cellar, or some unoccupied room. Have it as con- 
venient to look at occasionally, as possible. DonH 
keep any fire in your Incubator room, as the tempera- 
ture will vary less without fire than with it, and the 
Incubator is so well protected and the saw dust holds 
so much heat that a change of forty or fifty degrees in 
the Incubator room will not effect the eggs more than 
one or two degrees, and that wall do no harm. 

See that the six escape pipes in the top of the heat- 
er are at least one-half an inch above the zinc bottom. 
If they get clear down on the bottom it shuts the draft 
clear off. 

Fill your lamps at six o'clock, night and morning 
Then turn up the lamp to about the right height-- 



12 

this you will soon learn — alter about ten minutes look 
at the Thermometer, do not let it get above 105 for 
any length of time. When you once get it all right it 
will stay that way all day or night, and you will only 
need to look at the Thermometer when you turn the 
eggs. 

Ventilation is aUo quite essential. The twelve 
tin tubes in our Incubator not only ventilates but ad- 
mits the cool air under the eggs just w^here it is needed. 
Be sure the ventilators are always kept open, and see 
that in setting the Incubator dow^n you do not cover 
the ventilators on the bottom. 

Y ©u cannot always get fertile eggs. In five hun- 
dred eggs there may be often one hundred eggs not 
fertile. After the eggs have been in two days you can, 
with a good egg tester, tell every egg that is not fertile 
and taKe them out and sell or use them. You not 
only save the eggs, but you can replace them with fer- 
tile ones 

For $2.50 you can get a fine egg tester from A. M,. 
Halstead, Rye, New York. Or for 50 cents you can 
get a good egg tester from J. M. Bain, New Concord, 
Ohi©. 

When the chickens hatch they should remain in 
the Incubator until ihey get nicely dried off, or about 
twelve or fifteen hours. If you see the chickens begin 
to pant, take such out immediately and put them in the 
brooder. They should all be put in the brooder before 
they are twenty hours old, anyway. 

When about twenty hours old they should receive 
their first food, which should be hard broiled eggs or 
bread crumbs wet with milk, not feeding more at a 
time than they will eat up clean. If feeding corn 
meal it shoull be well soaked before feeding, for corn 
meal not well soaked has killed many chicks, as the 



/ 



13 

meal swells in the craw producing disease and death. 
Feed regularly and a little at a time, say at five, nine 
and twelve o'clock, a. m., and three, six and nine p. m. 
As they grow, dry grain may be substituted for wet 
food, as it will do much to prevent gapes and other 
diseases. 

HOW TO CAPONIZE CHICKENS. 
. ^@-»^©^ > 

Caponizing the young cockerels is one of the se- 
crets of success in poultry raising for profit, as the ca- 
pons will feed to ten or twelve pounds in six or eight 
months, and will bring an advanced price in any mar- 
ket. As for quality, an epicure is judge. 

The mode of procedure, to be successful, is to take 
all the cockerels at threeor four months old, keep them 
from feed in the morning so that the boAvels are empty 
for, if they are fed, and full, you will almost be sure to 
cut the intestine while making an incision and cause 
death. 

The mode of operation is conducted in the follow- 
ing manner : Have all the birds in a convenient place. 
Let your assistant hold the bird on a piece ot board, 
the left hand holding the two wings firmly, the right 
hand holding the left leg of the bird steady, with back 
of the bij'd to the operator, the feathers are picked from 
the edge of the last left rib, and an incision is made 
within an inch of the back bone, the cut not any lar- 
ger than will admit the forefinger. See that the finger 
nails are cut close, as a scratch will bring on hemor- 
rhage of the intestines. Press the finger of the left 
hand close to the backbone, and two round balls will 
be found adhering to the membrane of the sp? ic. Move 
the finger over the lower or right ball, tear both gent- 
ly upward, bring both over the edge off he incision 
with the right finger and thumb tear or twist them off. 



14 

keeping the seminal cords firm between the finger of 
the left hand. Cauterize these with White's Carbolic 
Acid Cry tal, and return them to their place. The tw^o 
testicles resemble a white cranberry, and are about the 
same size. Put three stitches in the incision made with 
the knife, and ten to oue the chicken will walk away 
and only turn round to pick the part, wondering what 
is the matter. 

Place plenty of cold water and broiled food with- 
in reach, and keep them confined a few days then give 
them liberty. Feed well three times a day and the 
delicious meat will be laid on with great rapidity, as 
they do not pay any attention to the rest of the poultry 
but spend their time in ease and quietness. They get 
so fat and lazy that they do not fly on the roost, but 
sit on the floor. 

Pullets are also converted into poulardes. The 
bird is held in much the same way as the cockerel, but 
the incision is made a little lower down, near the flank- 
On the incision being made the lower bow^el will be 
found in the way, and close behind it the oviduct, 
which is of a redish color, will be seen. With a piece 
of wire doubled and turned like a hook, draw the ovi- 
duct up and cut across. This will prevent the chicken 
from producing eggs and entirely stops the develop- 
ment of the ovary and causes the bird to attain a gr-eat 
size. In the case of pullets [ think the operation in- 
advisable, as it prevents laying, and eggs are money 
any time, and always valuable. 

It is well to practice the operation repeatedly upon 
chickens that have been killed, so a degree of expert- 
ness may be attained before attempting the operation 
on the liv.ng fowl. 

The ustal price obtained in the East is thirty to 
forty cents a pound, during the spring. Mr. W. H. 
Todd says that a well bred capon at nine months old 

( 



15 

should weigh ten "pounds each, and that there is no 
branch of poultry business pays better. _He shipped a 
lot of thirty capons to New York, and realized a net 
profit of $75 on the lot, or $2.50 clear. 

THE CARE OF POULTRY. 

Mr. Charles Layman, of Clarenda, Iowa, gives 
the following simple'directions for the care of poultry: 

In raising poultry or^stock, it should be the aim 
of every one to keep it healthy and improve it. You 
can do it very easily by adopting some systematic rules. 
These may be summed up in brief as follows: 

1. Construct your house good and Aarm, so as to 
avoid damp floors, and afford a flood of sunlight. Sun- 
shine is better than medicine. 

2. Provide a dusting and scratching place where 
you can bury wheat and corn, and thus induce the 
fowls to take needful exercise. 

3.^^Provide yourself with some good healthy chick- 
ens, none to be over three or four years old, giving one 
cock to every twelve hens. 

4. Give plenty of fresh air at all times of the year, 
especially in summer. 

5. Give plenty of fresh water, daily, and never al- 
low the fowls to get thirsty. 

6. Feed them systematically/i two or three times a 
day, and scatter the food "so they can't eat too fast or 
without proper exercise. Do not feed more than they 
will eat up clean, or they will get tired of that kind of 
food. 

7. Give soft feed in the morning and the whole 
grain at night, except a little wheat or '-racked corn 
placed in the scratching place to give them exercise 
during the day. 



16 

8. Give them a variety of both dry and ceoked 
food. A mixture of cooked meat and vegetables is an 
excellent thing for their morning meal. 

9. Above all things keep the hen house clean and 
well ventilated. 

10. Do not crowd too many in one house. If you 
do^ look out for disease. 

11. Use Carbolic Powder in the dusting bins occa- 
sionally to destroy lice. 

12. \Yash your roosts and bottom of laying nests 
and whitewash once a week in summer and once a 
month in winter. 

13. Let the old and young have as large a range 
as possible — the larger the better. 

14. Don't breed too many kinds of fowls at the 
same time, unless you are going into the business. 

15. Introduce new blood into your stock every year 
or so, by either buying a cockeral or sittings of eggs 
from some reliable breeder. 

16. In buying birds or eggs go to some reliable 
breeder who has his reputation at stake. You may 
have to pay a little more for birds, but you can depend 
on what you get. Culls are not cheap at any price. 

VARIETIES. 

What varieties to keep is a question which per- 
plexes many. First decide what branch of the business 
you wish to follow and then we can tell you what var- 
ieties you need to accomplish what you desire. 

If you wish to keep chickens to produce eggs for 
the market, the Leghorns, Polands, Hamburghs, Hou- 
dans and Spanish are among the best. The Leghorns 
and Spanish are not well calculated for the icy regions, 
unless well protected. But the above varieties are all 
non-sitters and, great layers. 



17 

If you wish t() raise chickens to sell alive when 
from six to ten weeks old, or when broilers, the Hou- 
dansare undoubtedly the best, as they will weigh more 
at that age, are better feathered and far more attractive 
than any other breed. 

The time to raise Houdans for early market is 
from January 1st to June 1st. 

If you wish to raise a variety to ship, dresf^ed, the 
Langshans are unquestionably the best, as they look 
much the best when dressed, and have a peculiarly 
good flavor when cooked that makes them sell much 
higher than any other variety when dressed. 

The Langshans are very large and handsome, be- 
ing almost as attractive as the Houdans and much lar- 
ger, these two varieties are undoubtedly the best varie- 
ties to raise for the market. 

WHAT IS GOOD FEEDING? 

Something like this: A warm breakfast, consist- 
ing of corn and oats ground together, and wetted with 
half its bulk of good sweet wheat bran. Of this give 
about as much as they will eat up clean. Then a drink 
of fresh water from the well or spring, after this as 
many oyster shells, cracked, as they want to eat. If 
you can not get oyster shells, keep lime and gravel 
where the chickens can have constant access to it. 
Now suspend a head of cabbage within easy reach of 
the hens — they will know what to do with it. Go to 
the barn and get a sheaf of oats or wheat and put it 
where the hens can get at it — they will know what to 
do with it, too. 

At noon give them a little buckwheat or screen- 
ing. Throw it among the straw they have been scratch- 
ing at, then give them more fresh water. Then at 
night a full feed of corn warmed or wetted with hot 
water. 



18 

This bill of fare repeated every day with what 
variation you can make, will fill your caskets with eggs 
and your pocket-books with money. 

Nothing is better to keep poultry in good health 
than raw onions chopped fine and mixed with other 
feed twice a week. To fatten, feed cooked feed and 
feed warm. Give equal parts of beets or potatoes and 
corn m^al well cooked and feed three times a day with 
an occasional mixture of barley and oats. Give plenty 
gravel, charcoal and lime. Shut in a dark dry place, 
only give them light when eating, they will fatten 
much better in darkness than in the light, as they re- 
main quiet nearly all the time. You can fatten in ten 
days as fat as need be for any market. 

To fit poultry for show, feed buckwheat. Russian 
sun-flowers planted in the yards are a great assistance. 
The chickens will pull the seeds off themselves, and it 
gives the plumage a peculiar lustre which is very beau- 
tiful. These do not want to be fed alone, but with 
other feed. 

Give the chickens all the fresh water they will 
drink. Keep the water in iron vessels or throw some 
old iron in the drinking vessels. 

DIRECTIONS FOR SHIPPING, 

We herewith give a few practical hints in regard 
to preparing; packing and shipping poultry for New 
York markets. Fully one-half, if not more of the risk 
of loss in shipping goods jnay be avoided by paying 
particular attention in preparing and packing, so that 
the goods may arrive in good order, and when opened 
present a handsome appearance. 

MarK plainly on the outside of each package its 
contents, and, if convenient, its gross weight and the 
tare. Neatness in marking is very important. The 



19 

shipper should strive to have his goods strike the eye 
of the buyer favorably at the first view. 

Keceipts should always be taken Irom the express 
or transportation companies, and full advices, with a 
correct invoice of the shipment should always, without 
delay, be forwarded by mail. There is nothing so vex- 
atious or intolerable to a Commission House as the re- 
ceipt of consignments not properly and distinctly mark- 
ed and advised. 

Every shipper who designs to make a business of 
forwarding to this market good goods, and who ex- 
pects to obtain the best prices, should have a brand or 
mark of his own. By so doing, he may establish a 
reputation for his goods which will be available to him. 

POULTRY. 

In preparing p©ultry for market do not feed for at 
least twenty-four hours before killing, as food in the 
crop injures the appearance, is liable to sour, and pur- 
chasers object to paying for this worse than useless 

weight. 

Opening the veins of the neck is the best mode of 
killing, and let it bleed freely, as poultry not properly 
bled will not have a bright healthy appearance. The 
intestines or crop should not be ^'dravvn." 

For scalding poultry, the water should be as near 
to the boiling point as possible without actually boil- 
ing. The bird, being held by the head and legs, should 
be immersed and lifted up and down in the water three 
times— this makes picking easy. When the head is 
immersed it turns the color of the comb and gives the 
eyes a shrunken appearance which often leads buyers 
to think the fowl has been sick. The feathers should 
then be at once removed, pin feathers and all, very 
cleanly and without breaking the skin. It should 



20 

next be "plumped/' by being dipped about ten seconds 
into water nearly, or quite boiling hot, and then at 
once into cold water about the same length of time. 

Most of the dressed poultry sold here is wet pick- 
ed, and such is generally preferred. But very fat and 
handsome turkeys, dry picked, sell well at Thanksgiv- 
ing and Christmas. 

Great care should be taken to avoid cutting or 
bruising the flesh or bones, it should be entirely cold 
but not frozen before being packed. This is a matter 
of importance, for if packed with the animal heat in it, 
it will be almost sure to spoil. If it reaches market 
sound without freezing, it will sell all the better. 

In packing, when practicable, use hand-threshed 
dry straw. 'Be sure that it is clean, free from dust of 
any kind and entirely dry. Place a layer of straw at 
the bottom, then alternate layers of poultry and straw, 
taking care to stow snugly, backs upward, legs not 
doubled up under the body, but straightened out. Take 
a hand full of straw and wrap around the body of the 
f@wl under the wings, which keeps the wings from 
touching the body, as under the wings is vvhere the 
fowl first begins to spoil. Then wrap a wisp of straw 
around the body and wings, to hold the' wings in posi- 
tion. Fix the package so that the cover will draw 
down very snugly upon the contents, to prevent shift- 
ing or shucking on the way. 

Boxes are the best packages, and should contain 
from one to two hundred^pounds. Larger boxes are 
inconvenient, and more apt to get injured. The objec- 
tion to barrels is that the poultry is apt to be much 
bent and twisted out of shape, they answer better for 
chickens and ducks than for turkeys and geese, but 
when packed in barrels should be packed on the side, 
keeping the legs out straight. Straw should be between 



21 

(he poultry and sides of package to keep from freezing 
though in very cold weather this cannot always be 
avoided, in packing lari^^e lots avoid putting more 
than one kind in a package, and mark the kind on the 
cover. 

FROZEN POULTRY, 

In preparing frozen poultry for the late market, 
dry pick the poultry, as it will keep longer, hold its 
color better and command better prices. The head 
should be left on, and the manner of packing much the 
same as in general directions, except no straw or pack- 
ing of any kind should be used. Boxes of the follow- 
ing dimensions are preferable: say four feet long by 
two feet wide and fifteen inches dee]), outside measure- 
ment. Use new inch lumber well seasoned, smoothly 
planed for tlie inside of the package. They will pack 
two layers of turkeys or three of fowl. Larger size 
packages are inconvenient to handle, and do not meet 
with as ready a sale. Pack a layer of poultry in as 
many boxes as \vi\\ be required to make one layer for 
each day\s work, when frozen sufficiently, the second 
layer may be packed in like manner. When full, the 
covers should be placed on and snugly nailed, and the 
boxes placed together and well covered with straw — 
say two or three feet in depth, or should the weather 
moisten and thaw when the boxes are but partly filled 
they should be protected in the same way, in which 
manner the poultry can be held and forwarded with 
entire safety. The packing should be done in a cold 
dry room, separate from the slaughter house, and not 
in the open aii-, as the wind is apt to turn the poultry 
dark. In dressing ducks and geese, after dipping 
them three times, as above described, wrap them quick, 
ly and tightly in a flannel cloth from three to five 



22 

minutes and then rub the feathers off quickly as possi- 
ble, and they will come off as dry and clean as you can 
wish. It does not hurt the poultry to remain in the 
cold water for several minutes. Keep the water cold 
by changing as often as the water gets warm. 

DISEASES OF YOUNG CHICKENS. 

Mr. Joseph Wallace gives us the following valua- 
ble receipts: — 

GAPES. 

As soon as we see symptoms of gapes we give the 
birds water to drink, which is strongly impregnated 
with camphor,- thus giving to the chickens that whi^h 
was a favorite medicine with our great grand-mothers, 
^^Camphor Julep. '^ The treatment seems to explain 
itself. The gapes or gaping is caused by the presence 
of small red worms in the wind pipe. No medic'ne 
can reach them unless in the form of vapor. An hour 
after the chicken has swallowed the pill it smells of 
camphor* Camphor is a very strong vermifuge and 
the worm dies. 

Another recommends to melt a tallow candle and 
mix it with a quart of thick oatmeal })orridge and feed 
it to the chicks affected. This is a very simple remedy 
If it don^t kill the gape worms, it will do much good 
otherwise. 

Some fanciers give five or six drops j)f spirits of 
turpentine three times a day to their chicks until a cure 
is affected There is no doubt but turpentine and cam- 
phor are destructive to intestinal worms and parasites. 

Another remedy much in vogue with poulterers 
is pinching the throat. In doing this, one must be 
careful not to injure the rings of cartilage which com- 
pose the windpipe of the chicken, by a sudden pinch. 
The pressure on these parts should be gentle and steady 



23 ____j 

relieving the bird when it gaspy, but never forcibly 
pinch the wind pipe with the belief that quick and 
rough treatment is necessary and the surest way to kill 
the worms. 

Fumigation, when skillfully applied, is an easy 
treatment to expel the gape worm. This is done by 
taking some carbolic acid on a large spoon, and place 
it ever a lamp until the fumes begin to arise, then hold 
the chick's head slightly downward over the fumes, 
and at the same time gently press its sides, to imitate 
respiration until nearly suffocated. Spirits of tupen- 
tine or creosote used the same way is good. 

We have seen chickens cured by taking' two parts 
flour of sulphur and one partof finely pulverized alum 
by blowing the mixture down their throats a few times. 

There are scores of other so-called cures, but we 
consider them untrustworthy to be recommended. As 
the subject is very important to poultrymen, we have 
devoted a large space to the same in hopes that some 
of the remedies would at least be effective. 

PIP. 

This is a horny scale that appears on the end of 
the tongue. It may be removed with the finger nail 
or pen knife, and is perhaps, caused by some stoppage 
of the nose or head. Use a wash of Labbaraques' So- 
lution, which can be got at any drug store. You can 
tell this disease by the piping, wheezing noise the chick- 
en makes in breathing. 

ROUP. 

This disease is contagious and will spread through 
a flock, resulting in the destruction of large numbers. 
If the ailment is taken on hand at the very start it is 
not diflicuUto manage, but when it is not attended to 
promptly, it will entail a great deal of trouble and 
loss. In this case, as in many others, prevention is 



24 

better than cure. Where fowls are properly housed 
in comfortable, dry, sunny quarters, Roup is seldom 
troublesome. If, however, a fowl is seen that shows 
symptoms of Roup, it should be separated and put into 
a dry, warm, clean place, and have its eyes, mouth and 
throat bathed with a solution of sulphate of zinc of a 
strength of ten or twelve grains to the fluid ounce of 
water, or a solution of carbolic acid of ten grains to the 
fluid ounce of water. These two preparations may be 
used in alternation. The fowl is to be fed on warm, 
soft food, into which a smart sprinkle of cayenne or 
black pepper is mixed. Put a few drops of hartshorn 
in the drink every time the fowl is fed, and it will 
soon be well. It will not pay to doctor a fowl unless 
it be a favorite or valuable one. If it is doctored at 
all it ought to be carefully and conscientiously done, 
or the fowl should be killed and buried. I have used 
the above in very bad cases, and never had it to fail. 

LICE. 

The surest way to destroy lice on chickens, or 
stock of any kind, is by using Risulphate of Carbon. 
Hang to the roosts of fowls a few small bottles of the 
above, taking out the corks. Leave open a ventilator 
or two and it will do no harm to stock of any kind. 

When all the stock is out close all ventilation, and 
in a few hours there will not be a louse left. It is 
cheap, twenty-five cents worth cleared my barn and 
chickens and everything else from lice in three days. 
A light must not be put very near as it is very inflam- 
able. I find it a sure cure for Roup. The first time 
I used it, my yard was full of Roup, but in three days 
not a case could be found. That was in November. 

Noting the efi^ect upon my fowls, I recommended 
it to others and the result was the same, so that I feel 
safe in advising its use. 



25 



Kerosene oil and lard mixed and rubbed on the 
neck and under the wings, will kill lice on all kinds 
of fowls. If your little chicks begin to droop, exam- 
ine for lice. If hatched under a hen they may need 
to be greased for lice when two or three days old, if 
hatched in an Incubator they are not apt to be troubled 
with lice. 

THE DOUGLAS MIXTURE 

Is a good constant tonic, and made thus: Sulphate of 
Iron, 1 lb.. Sulphuric Acid, 2 oz., water 1 gal. Mix 
and dissolve. Dose, one to two teaspoonfuls to a pint 
of drinking water. 

For drink, in cholera, give Carbolic Acid, 1 dr., 
(Glycerine, 1 oz., mix in a quart of water. Of this mix- 
ture use two tablespoonfuls to a gallon of water, allow- 
ing no other drink. 

A good feed is to soak bread in milk, well dusted 
with black pepper, and scalded by burning it with a 
red hot iron. This is also an excellent feed for fowls 
that have the diarrhcjea. 

CHOICER A. 

There is no infallible remedy known for chicken 
cholera There are many so-called cures that will, if 
given in time, save the fowl, and perhaps check its 
spread among the flock. The investigations of Pas- 
teur, Woritz, Peroncitoand Touissaint,show that med- 
icine is almost useless at an advanced stage. However 
we have proved that timely attention to this disease 
by giving the following medicine has been very satis- 
factorv: Carbon Charcoal, 1 lb., Sulphur, 1 lb., Sul- 
phate ''of Iron Copperas, 1-2 lb., Calomel, 10 gr., Sali- 
cylic Acid, 1 gr. Grind to a fine powder. Dose, one 
tablespoonfiull to a dozen fowls once a day, to be giv- 
en in moist meal. 



26 

CHEAP POULTRY HOUSES. 

We find that the best and most successful plan to 
manage and make fowls pay is to scatter them over a 
large range in fields and orchards. For this purpose, 
cheap, convenient and comfi^rtable houses are best. 
My plan is to build 16 feet long and 8 feet wide, 7 and 
1-2 front, facing south, and 4 and 1-2 back, boarded 
upright and battened, with a shed roof, shingled. Sills 
are 2x4 inch plank, halved together at corners. Plates 
same size. Rafters, 2x2. Lay the sills on sleepers 
and on these lay a tight floor, which cover with dry 
earth, 4 to 6 inches deep, removing and renewing twice 
a year. This keeps fowls dry, warm and healthy. 
Place an entrance door near one end on the front, and 
at least two windows of size 8x10 lights. Divide into 
two compartments with partition doors across the mid- 
dle.^^Tix ventilators at the highest point in each end, 
sheathed to exclude storm and wind. Erect roosts 20 
inches high, for twenty fowls, with a movable nest or 
two, and a box partly filled with dust and ashes, and 
you are ready for business. Forty large fowls can be 
accommodated and thrive well. Since the house is 
double, we are in shape to run two breeding yards. 

DIRECTIONS FOR SHIPPING EGGS. 

To have eggs bring high prices you must get them 
to market while they are perfectly fresh. To do this 
you must gather them every day without fail; do not 
leave any nest egg for hens to sit on, and ship twice a 
week, or at least once a week. Eggs gathered in that 
way and shipped that way, will bring five cents a doz- 
en more than store eggs. 

The question nmy arise in your mind, will it pay 
me to ship my eggs to the east? It certainly will, in 



27 ^ 

many parts of Ohio eggs sell as low as eight and ten 
cents a dozen in June and July, but in New York good 
fresh eggs never s<ai lower than twenty eents a dozen, 
and seldom less than twenty-five cents. 

Let us take a case of thirty dozen eggs to illustrate 
You will sell them at home for ten cents a dozen, 
which is a good fair price for July, thirty dozen vvould 
brin- you three dollars. You ship them East and 
twenly-five cents a dozen .viU be no higher price there 
than ten cents in the west. Thirty dozen at twenty- 
five cents a dozen would.be;$7.50. Freight on thirty 
dozen eggs from Ohio, Indiana or Illinois to New 
York is two cents a dozen, or sixty cents for 30 doz. 

Commission ^Merchants will charge you five per 
cent or thirty-seven and a half cents for selling thirty 
dozen eggs. Taking the freights and commission, 
which is ninety-seven and a half cents, from seven dol- 
lars and a half, and you have $6.47 left, or over tw.ce 
as much after paying all expenses, as you would have 
to sell at home. 

When e<rgs get higher in the west they get pro- 
portionatelv higher in the east, :so it will pay you about 
as well to ship one time as another. Eggs packed in 
barrels bring about one cent a dozen more than eggs 
packed in crates. If you do not get a barrel a we^k 
yourself, two or three neighbors can put their eggs to- 
gether and fill a barrel easily. 

Ship both poultry and eggs to a firm that makesa 
specialty of poultry and eggs, you will get a higher 
price. Do not ship to a jobber, although jobbers do 
the heaviest business; they sell in large lots and low 
prices. You want to send your goods to those who sell 
in small lots at high prices, oi in other words, ship to 
a Retail Commission House. Guinea "eggs and very 
small hen eggs will bring but half price. 



28 

EGGS FOR HATCHING. 

The North American Poultry Association has 
made arrangements with its members to furnish eggs 
to those who are desirous of starting in the poultry bus- 
iness at the following very low prices: Fourteen eggs 
— or seven eggs of two different varieties — $2.50, nice- 
ly packed in Buckeye Egg Baskets and safe arrival 
guaranteed. We warrant the eggs to be fresh. The 
breeding pens from which these eggs are furnished are 
not excelled by any in the country, beingTrom pedi- 
greed stock and from fowls that Avill score over 85 
points. We will furnish you eggs from any of the 
following varieties: Langshans, Houdans, Light and 
Dark Brahmas, Buff Partridge, Black and White Co- 
chins, Plymouth Pocks, Colored, Silver, Gray and 
White Dorkings, White, Brown and Dominique Leg- 
horns, White Faced Black Spanish, White Crested 
Black Polish, Silver Polish and Golden Pol'sh, Silver 
Spangled Hamburgs, Golden Spangled Hamburgs and 
Golden and Silver Penciled Hamburgs, Andalusions, 
White, Black and Mottled Javas, La Fleche, Black 
Breasted Ped Games, L'ish Blue Games, Yellow Duck 
wing Games, White Games and B. B. K. Game Ban- 
tams. If you want any other varieties, write what you 
want, and we can most likely furnish them. White 
and Brown China goose eggs and Toulouse goose eggs, 
50 cents each. Mammouth Bronze turkey eggs, from 
hens weighing 23 pounds and gobblers weighing over 
40 pounds, eggs 50 cents^each. Imperial Pekin and 
Pouen duck eggs, 25 cents each. 

Send in your orders for eggs immediately, and tell 
us about whem you will want them. You can perhaps 
tell within two or three weeks of the time you will 
want them. We would not advise you to set eggs be- 
fore April 15th, and from May 1st to June 1st, is per- 



29^ 

haps the best time. 

Ferrets and rabbits of various kinds. Send mon- 
ey with order. We will acknowledge the receipt of 
money promptly^ and by ordering immediately, you 
can get the eggs exactly when you want them. Should 
anything occur that we could not furnish the variety of 
eggs ordered, we will return your money promptly. 

Address all orders to the Sec^y of 'the N. A. P. A. 
New Concord, Muskingum Country, Ohio. 

J. M. BAIN, Secretary. 

HOW TO USE BAIN'S EGG TESTER. 

Lay the egg on its side and push the large end of 
the Tester over the egg. Place the small end to the 
eye and look toward the sun, move the head up and 
down and you will see a dark spot floating to the top, 
after three days this is quite visible in a fertile egg. 
An egg that is perfectly clear, after being in the Incu- 
bator three days, is not fertile. 



B^i:Nr BROTHERS, 

PROrUCE AND COMMISSION 

MERCHANTS, 

NEWARK, - - - NEW JERSEY. 

[Eight miles from New York City.] 

Make a specialty of Eggs and Poultry, selling largely 
at retail both in Newark and New York. They can 
get you extra high prices for your Eggs and Poultry. 
Write, enclosing 10 cents in silver, asking any and all 
questions you desire, they will reply and send you a 
Market Report. Address, Bain Bro's., 

Newark, N. J. 



iiiiii 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



002857 332 7 



iii 



li 



I 



im 



ill 



lli:ll 



i 



iilii 



M 



ii 



I 



■■iiii 



iiii 



11 



